Singer. Nicknamed included ''Godfather of Soul'' and the ''Hardest Working Man in Show Business'', he was impoverished at birth. Raised by friends and relatives. he spent much time on the street, where he was engaged in various criminal activities. While in reform school, he met Bobby Byrd, whose family rescued him. He joined Byrd's musical group, which ultimately became the ''Famous Flames''. James Brown's first hit with the group was ''Please, Please, Please'' in 1956. His unique dance style was an inspiration for those who came after him, including Michael Jackson and Prince. Married four times, he was accused of abusing his third wife. He also spent time in prison for PCP use, brandishing a firearm in public, and engaging in a high speed chase with police officers. Fifteen years later, the State of South Carolina pardoned him. His career also encompassed acting in several films, notably "The Blues Brothers.

Cause of death: Heart failure
Burial:
Thomas Family Home Crypt
Beech Island
Aiken County
South Carolina, USA
Specifically: Temporary burial site
James Brown may be back in the public eye, thanks to a new biopic, but the late music icon is far from resting in peace, according to his widow.
In an interview with MailOnline.com, Tomi Rae Brown detailed for the first time just how complicated things are with BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs family as she touched on the battle for the soul legendÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs $65 million fortune as well as how a paternity suit resulted in the dismembering of his body which has been moved 14 times since his death.
Although BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs biopic, ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂGet On Up,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂgives a good depiction of my husbandÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs life,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ Tomi Rae feels all the drama since the singerÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs death is ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂis more painful and outrageous than anything a scriptwriter could dream up.ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ
ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂJames would be spinning in his grave if he knew the hell IÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂd gone through over the past eight years,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ she told MailOnline.
Since BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs death on Christmas Day 2006, feuding among the entertainerÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs children has left Tomi Rae ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂvirtually pennilessÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ as the children ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ legitimate and otherwise ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ have launched legal claims on BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs estate along with lawyers, hangers-on and business associates.
In addition, thereÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs the situation with BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs will. According to Tomi Rae, a will leaving half of BrownsÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ fortune to her and the rest to a charitable foundation to help underprivileged children ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂmysteriously disappearedÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ in the days following the legendary entertainerÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs death. On the flipside is a will Brown signed in 2000 that his children are standing by. That will, which was made before the singer married Tomi Rae and their son James Jr.ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs birth, lists BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs six adult children as the beneficiaries.
ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂHe thought he had provided for me and Little Man, as he called our son. But every piece of scum and slime came crawling out of the woodwork the day he died,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ Tomi Rae said. ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂThere have been lawsuits and countersuitsÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ¦ I know I will prevail eventually, but IÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂm in a living hell.ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ
The legitimacy of James Jr. as the elder BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs son has been questioned by the singerÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs other children, who claim Brown had a vasectomy in the 1980s.
The squabbling ultimately resulted in a judge ordering a DNA test, which confirmed that Brown was James Jr.ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs father. Despite the verification, the way in which the result was reached is an issue that Tomi Rae gets emotional discussing.
ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂThey couldnÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂt do the normal DNA test because of all the embalming fluid in his body. So they had to cut off his legs to get to his bone marrow,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ she revealed. ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂI wept uncontrollably when I found out. My husband, the greatest dancer in the world, had his legs hacked off in death.ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ
As if enough damage hadnÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂt been done, Tomi Rae goes on to reveal that in the six months after BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs passing, the singerÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs body was moved 14 times. It eventually ended up in a temporary grave in the garden of BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs oldest daughter DeannaÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs home in Georgia.
ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂThat is the final insult to James,ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ said Tomi Rae, who was hired by ÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂGet On UpÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂ executive producer Mick Jagger to be a consultant for the film. The Rolling Stones frontman and Tomi Rae are currently working on a two-hour documentary that will shed light on the story of the drama over BrownÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂs estate.